21 Leftover Roast Beef Recipes You Need To Know

Leftovers: you either love them or hate them. Not all foods taste good when they’ve been reheated or reused, but many of them do. So, if you’ve ended up with a generous amount of leftover roast beef, don’t throw it! 

There’s so much that can be done with your leftover beef; the possibilities are almost endless.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of anything off the top of your head, we’re here to give you the big burst of inspiration you need to create something delicious and nutritious (or just delicious).

So, whether you’re after a quick weeknight meal or you have a few hours to spare in the kitchen, keep reading to discover 21 of our favorite leftover roast beef recipes (see also ‘23 Easy Leftover Corned Beef Recipes‘), and get ready to enjoy your leftovers with a whole new level of appreciation! 

1. Beef And Noodles

Here’s a leftover you can’t go wrong with – beef and noodles. Use your tender, leftover beef to muster up these noodles in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for a simple and nourishing weeknight meal.

This can be made on the stove, in an instant pot (see also ‘28 Easy Keto Instant Pot Recipes To Make At Home‘), or in a crock pot, and it only needs a few simple ingredients. Tuck in! 

2. Leftover BBQ Beef Sandwich

Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? Why not take yours up a notch with a tender, tasty leftover BBQ beef sandwich?

Top your leftover beef with a generous dollop of homemade BBQ sauce, melted cheese, and coleslaw, and be sure to choose bread with a crunch. There’s no craving this sandwich can’t satiate! 

3. Beef And Bean Tacos

If you feel like something a little more warming, why not try these beef and bean tacos?

This recipe takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Simply mix your shredded beef, black beans, paprika, water, and cumin into a skillet, add some seasoning, cook until warm, and ouila!

4. Leftover Roast Beef Chili

If you really want to make the most of your leftovers, you need to try this leftover roast beef chili.

This will take a bit of time to prep and cook (around an hour and a half), but it’s tender, tasty, filling, and perfect for the whole family. With ingredients like garlic, red wine, and kidney beans, you know you’re in for a treat. 

5. Leftover Beef Fajitas

For a Mexican twist, try out some leftover beef fajitas. Simply place your leftover beef in a few tortillas and prep some peppers, tomatoes, and avocados to fill it up with.

This recipe even includes homemade guacamole to really add some extra flavor – plus, you’ll be getting 3 of your 5 a day. With just a 10-15 minute prep time, this is ideal for a quick meal. 

6. Cold Roast Beef Salad With Lentils

Salad, anyone? This cold roast beef salad with lentils uses up all your leftover roast beef in a super healthy way.

In just 35 minutes, you’ll have a salad that can be used for lunch or dinner, and it’s loaded with plenty of nutrition from the lentils, onion, and tomatoes. Enjoy! 

7. Leftover Roast Beef Pizza

If you REALLY want to indulge, then we cannot recommend this leftover roast beef pizza enough. Super tasty, super cheesy, and ready to eat in just 25 minutes (including prep and cook time!).

This pizza features plenty of seasoning, onion, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, butter, and extra shredded cheese for good measure. It’s quick, simple, and downright delicious. Tuck in! 

8. Beef Ragu

This ragu is the perfect way to use up your leftover Sunday lunch beef. Brimming with chunks of beef, tomato sauce, red wine, thyme, and more, this is divine when served on a hearty bed of pasta.

Your leftover beef ragu will take around 2 hours and 30 minutes to prepare and cook, but believe us, the end result is worth the wait! 

9. Leftover Roast Beef Curry

This beautiful roast beef curry is bursting with flavor and texture, and it’s absolutely made for a cold winter’s evening.

With flavors of coconut, turmeric, onion, tomatoes, ginger, and more, this is a real winter warmer that’ll have you feeling full and satisfied in no time!

This recipe takes 25 minutes to make and will serve around three people, making it an economical way to use those leftovers! 

10. Meatballs With Tomato Sauce

Who doesn’t love meatballs? Chop up your leftover roast beef into these heavenly meatballs, topped with a creamy tomato sauce and olives.

Be sure to season your meatballs with plenty of thyme, pepper, salt, and onion, and in 50 minutes, you’ll have plenty of meatballs to throw in a salad, pasta dish, and more! 

11. Beef Fried Rice

We LOVE rice, and that’s why we believe this beef fried rice recipe is not to be missed. Instead of throwing your leftovers, rustle up a quick weeknight dinner (see also ‘28 Of The Best Easy Friday Night Dinner Recipes‘).

Throw in some onion, garlic, oil, peas, eggs, and soy sauce, and you’ve just whipped up something delightful in just 20 minutes! Add in other veggies such as courgette and sweetcorn to taste. 

12. Roast Beef And Cheddar Frittata 

If you want something a little heartier, make this roast beef and cheddar frittata. This is ideal for lunch, brunch, or dinner, and it’ll take you around 55 minutes to prepare and cook.

You’ll have a tasty frittata that pairs beautifully with a light salad with just a few simple ingredients! 

13. Leftover Chow Mein

You could even use your leftover roast beef to rustle up a delicious chow mein! This incredible recipe is packed full of crunchy veggies, meat, and noodles, in a sensational chow mein sauce.

Chow mein is so versatile that you can use any veggies you want; broccoli, beansprouts, onion, carrot, and courgette tend to work best. This will take you just 40 minutes to whip up, and it’s truly sensational. 

14. Roast Beef Stew

One of the best ways to use up your leftover roast beef is in a stew (see also ‘17 Best Side Dishes To Serve With Beef Stew‘). If you’re in need of some hearty comfort food to get you through the winter, this stew may just be your new favorite cold weather meal.

This can be prepped and cooked in 30 minutes, and you’ll have enough to serve four people! Loaded with potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic, there are plenty of nutrients to be had here, too! 

15. Roasted Beef And Grilled Cheese Sandwich

There are so many recipes you can create with your leftover beef, but if you ask us, sandwiches always come out on top. If you’re craving something, but you’re not sure what, we guarantee you that THIS is what you need.

This sandwich is oozing with cheese, onion, pepper, mushrooms, and a sprinkle of chili flakes and pepper. It’s so good, you’ll be dreaming about it for weeks. It’ll take you just 15 minutes to prep and cook – that’s right, don’t forget to grill it! 

16. Roast Beef Mac And Cheese

There’s just something about mac and cheese, isn’t there? Whether you enjoy sticking to the traditional recipe, throwing in a load of frankfurters, or giving it a sprinkle of rosemary, there’s a variation for everyone.

This leftover roast beef mac and cheese is certainly one you should be adding to your collection. Simply make your mac and cheese as normal, but throw in half a cup of roast beef (or however much you’ve got) for food measure.

This will take you about 45 minutes to make, and it’s destined to be a hit with the whole family (yes, even the fussy eaters!). 

17. Cold Roast Beef Salad

Okay, we’ll stop rambling on about how much we love unhealthy dishes now. Check out this cold roast beef salad recipe if you want to use your leftover roast beef for something nutritious!

If it’s hot outside and you don’t want to cook, this is the recipe for you. Simple, quick, delicious, and nutritious, this salad has it all.

Of course, you can tweak this recipe to include any ingredients you want, but if you follow this one, expect to create and devour a KILLER dressing full of garlic, mustard, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and more.

Ready in just 15 minutes, you can’t go wrong with this one. 

18. Roast Beef Crostini With Horseradish Cream

Roast beef and horseradish have always been a match made in heaven. If you agree, it’s about time you used your leftover roast beef to create this incredible roast beef crostini with horseradish cream.

This recipe works well as an appetizer that may go down a little too easily with your wine! These will take just 15 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to cook, and you can whip up enough to serve eight people. These are truly heavenly. 

19. Baked Chimichangas With Shredded Beef

If you take a look at other leftover beef recipes, you’ll see that Mexican-inspired dishes are hardly in short supply!

So, we feel we should put another one on our list, and we thoroughly recommend checking out these baked chimichangas with shredded leftover beef.

These chimichangas take around 35 minutes to create, and they’re loaded with onion, pepper, cheese, sour cream, guac, salsa, and all the other good stuff.

These are a great meal to offer the whole family, and they work great as either a lunch (see also ‘33 Tasty And Quick Cold Lunch Ideas‘) or a dinner! 

20. Steak And Cheese Fries

Sometimes, all you need is fries. That’s why we LOVE these steak and cheese fries (or, in our case, shredded roast beef and cheese fries!).

These french fries are absolutely smothered in gravy and cheese (no, not poutine). There’s just something about roast beef and fries that work so well together, especially when they’re loaded with Worcestershire sauce, gravy, cheese, and parsley.

This recipe should take just over half an hour to whip up, and it’s SO good, you’ll want to have your leftover beef this way forever! 

21. Beef Hash

Last (but not least) is beef hash. This simple meal is a timeless classic, and let’s be honest, what’s not to love?

This southern beef hash takes no more than half an hour to prepare and cook, and it’s full to the brim with flavor.

It uses only a few simple ingredients, including potato, onion, celery, garlic, cornstarch, oil, pepper, and of course, your leftover roast beef! If you ever make this with freshly cooked beef, you can add in your drippings, too.

This is a great way to use your leftovers, and this timeless classic is as nutritious as it is hearty, so get ready for an extra dose of nutrients! 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can You Do With Leftover Roast Beef?

Your leftover beef doesn’t have to be tossed. There are so many recipes you can create with your roast beef, but some of the most popular leftover dishes are sandwiches, chow mein, stews, or soups.

Using your leftover roast beef in a new recipe is a great way to make your money (and your food) go further!  

How Do You Reheat Roast Beef Without Drying It Out? 

To keep your beef moist when reheating it, always cook it in the oven. Microwaving your beef is more likely to dry it out.

Ideally, you should wrap your roast beef in foil before heating it, and place it on a medium-large baking tray. 

What Kind Of Beef Is Used For Roast Beef? 

The most common cut used for roast beef is the top round roast (inside round), which tastes similar to the top sirloin; however, other cuts such as rump cap, prime rib roast, and rump roast can all be used for roast beef. 

The Bottom Line 

Even if you’ve never used roast beef to create leftovers before, there are plenty of recipes on this list that you can create in just a few minutes that’ll go down a treat with the whole family!

This could be a sandwich, fries, or fajitas, or for something more complex, why not take a stab at creating some beef stew or ragu? Whatever the craving, you’ll find a leftover roast beef recipe to work for you!